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360s turn up the tunes

Microsoft, Epic Records turn new Xbox into boom box with free music-video downloads, exclusive content. Natasha Bedingfield to be first featured artist in program.

When the Xbox 360 was released last November, Microsoft touted its downloadable content through Xbox Live Marketplace. Among items that gamers would be able to grab off the Net were game demos, movie trailers, and music videos. While demos and movie trailers have sprung up at regular intervals, the release of music videos has occurred only rarely.

That's about to change, as Microsoft and music label Epic Records have partnered up to provide free high-definition music videos to the Xbox 360. Select artists from Epic Records' catalog will be featured as artists of the month, and videos and "exclusive artist content" will be available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The first artist to be featured in the program is UK singer Natasha Bedingfield, whose single "Unwritten" is currently in heavy rotation on the airwaves. She may be well known to audiophiles, but Bedingfield is no stranger to gamers, either. The sultry songstress was featured in November's From Russia With Love game.

Those looking to get even closer to Natasha and the rest of the upcoming artists of the month will also be able to download exclusive interviews and enter contests to play Xbox Live-enabled titles against them.

Epic has already provided Microsoft with some music videos for Xbox 360s. Videos from alt-rockers Franz Ferdinand and Audioslave have been featured on Xbox Live Marketplace. Other Epic artists include Shakira, Matisyahu, AC/DC, and Jennifer Lopez.

94 Comments

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jun 17, 2006 11:30 am GMT

    i dont listen to music on my xbox

  • LOLO_BOND

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 4:59 pm GMT

    epic record is indeed a sony music record division , there are artist like shakira, staind

  • yanks26wsw

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 2:39 pm GMT

    I thought Sony owned.....never mind

  • K1LLSWITCH

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 2:24 pm GMT

    Hey Microsoft, I already own a computer. Try making a VIDEO GAME system. Yes DVD players are installed into consoles now a days, for instance the PS2. But the PS2 is primarily a gaming console. It doesn't make sense to get into the game industry and make computers with really no good quality games, and them talk trash on how great their company is doing and claiming that their number one. The only thing that impressed me was their online capabilities. But I'm not going to spend extra money for three games. Me personally that's how many games that interest me for the X-box. But keep up the good work buddy. Fight the good fight. And keep running that 'ol treadmill.

  • Radius64

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 6:54 am GMT

    Its for free now, just wait..u'll start coughing up the cash in no time!!! Why, coz MS says so!

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 5:52 am GMT

    too bad the 360 isn't something you carry around with you to listen to music.

  • jonnyjd

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 5:45 am GMT

    Nice option...

  • cybergooch

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 4:55 am GMT

    Couldn't agree with you more sgt_tickles. The 360's extra features were designed for the casual gamer - and when you consider that this device serves as a DVD player or CD player in a component line, all these "extra" really come to value. Believe it or not, not many 14 year old kids can afford this unit without at least SOME help from their mom and dad (selling lemonaid and delivering newspapers I'm sure helps a little.)

  • Reetesh

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 3:42 am GMT

    WOW free content Via GAME console that really is Next gen

  • sgt_tickles

    Posted Mar 20, 2006 1:39 am GMT

    you guys need to remember that microsoft is looking to target more than the "hard core gamer" which is what classification you falll under when all you want to do is play games on your console and you are an early adopter (which you obviously are if you already have the technology). The way they can obtain more slices of pie from the entertainment market, is by offering a more diverse range of attributes for the 360. Of course noone is gonna buy a 360 just so they can d/l music etc, but that extra attribute might be the deciding factor for a fence sitter.

  • waic56

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 10:53 pm GMT

    all in one entertainment center is what I think microsoft was looking at when they made this console so I think you should read up on intentions before you assume microsoft is copying anyone

  • GameDestroyer88

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 7:57 pm GMT

    Thank you drqfreak....you read my mind. Well I really don't care If I can listen to music on my 360.....I honestly want a nice powerful gaming platform to get my groove on.....all the extra bull$#&^ can go to hell for all I care. It's not like the audio of the games these days is that bad is it. I wouldn't download Matisyahu if you paid me to. Dammit cant I just get some good games up in this thing.....crap. That is the only feature I hate about the 360 the whole "It can do so much more thing" The only other feature I'm grateful for, is pretty much the demos, the gamer pics, the themes, and the dvd clips thats it......If I wanted music I could just flop on MTV.....oh im sorry MTV doesn't play music anymore, make that Itunes. So long story short, thank you for the offer Microsoft but I will have to decline on this offer....but I will take AC/DC.

  • drqfreak

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 7:10 pm GMT

    I'm getting sick of all the extra stuff being put into consoles. All i really want is a fast, powerful console that can play great games. They need to worry about making the gaming experience more enjoyable. I'd buy a new PC if i wanted all the extras. And besides, i dont think any "straight" gamer would be listening to Natasha Beningwhateverfeild...

  • MikeDecz

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 6:27 pm GMT

    maybe you can watch the music videos in your games as you play???

  • erikl57

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 6:06 pm GMT


    "VyseN1
    Microsoft copying Apple yet again. What would Gates do without Jobs to copy off of?"

    Microsoft owns most of apple genius...

  • Hershey07

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 2:07 pm GMT

    360 gets better and better...

  • administor

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 12:09 pm GMT

    well it's free thats good but here's microsoft trying to copy apple (this is prof ms fans and pc users proff!!!!)

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 9:00 am GMT

    they just keep copying apple and sony, retarded plagiat, but it's obvious, it's money $oft anf bill gate$'s thing, they just want to conquer the software for PC, and now want to conquer the PC's hardware too, by making her box into something like PC stuffs, and sell it to you, mwa ha ha ha, it's really obvious.

    And, make you more and more have to pay for that live thing, money for them, it's just make you more and more addicted to her garbage stuffs.

  • gaiden1024

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 8:39 am GMT

    then they will add series , then movies... geee imagine this. I hope they will integrate some way for you to save your purchased movies to another storage medium since the xbox's hdd will only suffice for so long.

    I can see it now , due to security concerns only a Windows Vista machine will be allowed store xbox 360 downloaded content due to drm concerns

  • hittin

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 7:27 am GMT

    Meh, old songs...

  • idio_genius

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 7:27 am GMT

    To all the people asking who the hell Natasha is - she's basically the talented sister of fellow singer Daniel Bedingfield who got famous from the single "I gotta get through this" he made in his house. He sounds like a girl in that, but he's definintely a good song writer.

  • hoteba

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 4:46 am GMT

    oh yeah epic is definately under sony bmg, hmm so how does this work sony helping microsoft sounds fishy to me

  • boxcarracer565

    Posted Mar 19, 2006 12:27 am GMT

    who cares 360 blows

  • whitey3221

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 11:23 pm GMT

    who cares if they include chevelle, chevelle sucks.

  • insane956dv

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 9:04 pm GMT

    just when it couldnt get any dumber

  • ghangiskhan1

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 2:48 pm GMT

    ipod 360

  • pyth0n13

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 1:06 pm GMT

    Natasha Bedingfield is soooo hott. and i think the only person hotter is shakira and that's 'cause she bellydances

  • DrKill09

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 12:51 pm GMT

    Natasha Who? Commersial ****!

  • Jak_master91

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 12:42 pm GMT

    Do they include Chevelle? They are a part of Epic.

  • jameston80

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 12:31 pm GMT

    Well, the whole thing is kool, I have downloaded the audioslave video and man does it look nice on my hdtv, so I would guess they will release a wider variety of videos as they become available, it is nice just to have this option to do this.

  • JAntrim69

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 12:05 pm GMT

    where is pantera ,slayer,metallica...come on microsoft....Franz ferdinand...who the hell is that!!

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 11:54 am GMT

    hopefully they get more record companies than that.

  • minerl99

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 11:43 am GMT

    Is there any industry in the world with a more PESSIMISTIC, JADED and DISTRUSTFULL audience than gaming consoles? If there is, I can't think of it. No matter what Sony or Microsoft does to make their products BETTER gamers come out of the woodword to cry FOUL, RIPOFF or it's free because they're trying to set us up to make money later.... This is pathetic. Selling to kids or adults , who act like kids, has got to be one of the most frustrating experiences known to man... :-(

  • mp5b

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 11:28 am GMT

    i want deathrow to be on there (its a record company for you super white people)

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 11:09 am GMT

    y the hard drives small nuff alrady

  • DirkVDV01

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 10:58 am GMT

    MS announced this in November, went silent for 5 months just to announce it again. Now what, wait another 5 months? Seems more like a way to convince people to buy the Xbox360 to me...

  • bartcichonski

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 9:54 am GMT

    who needs that?

  • Hellisunreal

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 8:17 am GMT

    what abut the GAMES.......

  • mattius1989

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 8:06 am GMT

    i'm with you there optimus. there always seems to be the ps3 fanboys and PC hermits slagging the Xbox360 down with all the xflop and xbox1.5 nicknames for no good reason. The 360 is a system that has a powerful spec that is getting games that are graphically more impressive than anything available else where (oblivion, GRAW). I like all consoles and systems but i HATE people that are so ignorant and stubborn that they won't admit that something they don't liek could possibly be better. Its very sad.

  • grave_rob

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 7:35 am GMT

    This is lame. Someone made a good point earlier: does itunes try to sell games? No. So why should xbox try to push music? Especially top 40 crap. I'd chalk this up to greed.

    They need to focus on smooth connections & pumping out great games. Not tie-in deals to promote the next Britney Agulera Simpson. If you want music in your xbox: toss in one of your cds.

  • SQUALL20XX

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 7:33 am GMT

    mmmm , nice .

  • bunty_007

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 6:51 am GMT

    Microsoft is just trying to take Xbox to top before PS3 ... but who cares about music in gaming console... we just need games in gaming console!

  • cybergooch

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 6:07 am GMT

    OMG, are some of you THAT dense? First, how does offering music videos a way of copying iTunes? Did Apple invent the music video, the Internet, and a home theater component that was capable of playing games, music, and movies that THEY invented and allowed them to be downloaded on the Internet that ALSO invented? And why, WHY, would anyone think that an "MP3 player" could serve as a reasonable substitute for a component that is , more than likely, plugged into a stereo or home theater system? Why would I WANT a portable device like that, which CAN NOT be hooked up digitally, to be my primary music player? The 360 is great example of a component that can act as an EXTENSION of the PC by supplying many of the things that the 18-36 year old genre do on the PC - download music, movie clips, and games. The service is barely 5 months old in it's new incarnation and continues to develop and grow. Who's to say what it may evolve into? Could it be an iTune's killer? Maybe, it they decide to offer higher-resolution sound (higher than 128k) and find a way to not alienate someone because of what type of portable they may own (I, for one, have an iPod). And as for Sony, I'd think that a company that makes it's bread-and-butter off of audio/video would have a HUGE surprise for the public when it does unveil the PS3. I'm sure that we will ALL be surprised! And what is this that I hear that Sony has pushed the envelop for US release to NEXT MARCH?!?!?

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 3:30 am GMT

    Pretty neat idea, if it's free of course, she's cute too, so it's a win-win situation. =)

  • drangel_jam

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 1:33 am GMT

    it's fast and convinient. I hope it's not only Epic's catalog.

  • azizrulez

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 1:03 am GMT

    boring

  • KiLLer_ba

    Posted Mar 18, 2006 12:41 am GMT

    As long as these Videos are Free Im ok with it.

  • 2TrickedOut

    Posted Mar 17, 2006 11:02 pm GMT

    your right Optimus. Microsoft is doing a good thing here. this means there will be lots more music video's to come. Hope and think they will offer a variety of diff music.

  • Optimusv2

    Posted Mar 17, 2006 10:51 pm GMT

    Why is it people that hate on microsoft always try to find a negative even when all they are bringing is good news? Talk about having issues i can't see one person that could have a complain for this even if they don't like the specific song there is a long list of artists at epic records obviously they'll have some others.

  • andrewtyen

    Posted Mar 17, 2006 10:48 pm GMT

    cool i guess

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